Done:
35 5ks in 18 states
19 10ks in 15 states
25 half marathons in 18 states
27 marathons in 27 states
(13 State "Bingos")

About me:

These are my motivations for getting to my goal weight (130s):
1) Health
2) Comfortable longevity
3) Stamina & energy
4) Easier and safer for running
5) Sense of accomplishment I get from running
6) Sense of control and self-actualization

I'm already at an "acceptable" weight, but that's the problem. I keep gaining and losing the same 25-40 lbs (within the "healthy" range, according to the charts, but it is not healthy to yo-yo!) It is too easy to just say "I'm ok the way I am." I am at my best when I'm in the 130s, so I want to get there and stay there.

This is my ultimate goal: I am training for a 5K which has not been scheduled yet (in fact, it is probable that the race organizers have not even been born yet!), but it will be March 4, 2062, the first Saturday after I turn 100.
All of my marathons, all my workouts, all my good eating habits – all of this is directed toward that one goal – being healthy and in good condition to run this 5K.
And I will keep running them until I get an age group medal! :-)I am 52, separated, mother of two adult children. I’m a church organist and I teach piano at a community college and in a community school of music, and I do some accompanying, wedding gigs, etc. I am also a volunteer adult literacy tutor, and have three three-legged cats. (Nine cat legs total).

Before age 42 1/2, I did no exercising whatsoever. I was only slightly overweight – (5’7”, in the upper 160s) -- nothing to be too concerned about, but a question popped into my head all of a sudden – “What kind of 76-year-old do I want to be someday?” -- and for some reason, I pictured a 76-year-old me, running a road race. This was weird, because I knew I couldn’t run 2 blocks. But I realized that the future I was envisioning for myself was not the future I was preparing for. So I bought a pair of running shoes that day, and have been running ever since. I have had good times and bad with this – including several marathons in several states – and a stress fracture, with a period of time spent on crutches and in a wheelchair! I think I have a handle on what I’m doing now, but I am constantly learning new things about what works for me and what doesn’t!

I thought that with all that running, weight loss would come automatically, but that was not the case. It was pretty clear, though, that the running would be a lot easier if I lost 20, or even 30 lbs., so I started reading about what is the best way to fuel (and not overfuel) all this activity.

I joined PT in April 2007, and found that just logging what I ate caused me to lose weight! Even if nobody reads it, I feel accountable, and I am aware of what kinds of foods I’m eating and in what amounts – so it’s a natural check & balance. Logging every day is really important. I quit being active at PeerTrainer a few years ago, but now I'm back -- because so is the weight. Thought I'd give it a try again.

Now that I have read through the Beck Diet Solution more than once, and DONE THE ASSIGNMENTS (that's important!), I finally feel like I have a handle on my relationship with food. Yay for cognitive restructuring!

My next challenge is to apply this to something that is even more of a problem for me: clutter. I am not a "hoarder," but I was not "obese," either -- but just because I'm not extreme in my problems, doesn't mean that I have it all together. I am continuing to do the Beck techniques for my weight, but I'm also turning my attention to the clutter issue. I found "Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding," by Tolin, Frost, and Steketee. They are psychologists who specialize in applying Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Hoarding Disorder. This is the Beck Diet Solution for clutterers. I am also using the book "Discardia: More Life, Less Stuff," by Dinah Sanders, for a lighter approach. I want to change my relationship with "stuff" as positively as I have changed my relationship with food, and I want these changes to be permanent. An interesting thought -- these two challenges are related. Both involve thinking errors that are hard to unlearn. And it's about more than just clutter and calories.

Diets I like:

I used to like diets with a lot of structure. Now I just count calories. I use a Fitbit to determine how many calories I'm burning, and if I eat less than I burn, I lose weight. At the beginning of each day, I count 200 calories for a fruit and vegetable "allowance," and then I don't count the calories in those foods when I eat them. It might be more, or it might be less than 200. But since I already counted those calories, it motivates me to actually eat vegetables, because I want to get my calories' worth out of it -- I already "paid" for it. Silly mind game, but it works for me.

Workout of choice:

I am running a marathon, a half marathon, a 10k, and a 5k in every state.

I am a slow runner, so don't be too impressed! Actually, I prefer to be called a "half-fast" runner. It's the only exercise I have been able to stick with, and a good excuse to travel.

My plan:

June-July, 2014: I read the Beck Diet Solution and its workbook, and did what it says. This put me in the mindset to be successful. I'm still re-reading it, and helping a student through it now. It's not a diet, but a way to train your brain to think like a thin person. Beck has great credibility in Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

It really helps me to write things down -- it gets it out of my head, and makes everything visible. I log all my eating and exercising, and I keep track of my weight and my running mileage on charts. I love to make colorful charts-- sometimes that even motivates me to get out there and run!

I will count calories as needed. I have also used a Fitbit for a couple of years now, and that is very motivating!

I need the most help with:

Ideas for EASY ways to get healthy foods into my diet habitually. Simple recipes, or ideas for healthy snacks. If it's complicated, chances are I won't do it. I work a lot and have a weird schedule, so I'm always out and about. I don't really want to cook. Maybe this will change in the future. Maybe that will be my next project, after I declutter.